Horizon 2020 states that community planning should “provide […] for the optimum in public health, safety, convenience, general social and physical environment and individual opportunities for all the residents of the community” and “achieve a maximum of individual freedom” balanced against the public welfare. Correcting the zoning of my property at 401 Elm Street to match the historic and recent uses of the building conforms with the goals of Horizon 2020 in a number of specific ways that benefit the local and broader community while also maximizing my personal freedom as the property owner:
· quality affordable housing with close connections by walking, biking, car, or public transportation to downtown, schools, and Interstate 70;
· support Downtown Lawrence, especially related to planned future expansion of the downtown district into North Lawrence;
· enhance neighborhood-oriented business opportunities within close proximity to established commercial areas along both N 2nd Street and N 7th & Locust, as well as an elementary school and recreational facilities;
· develop businesses that provide local job opportunities
· maintain and restore a historic resource through adaptive reuse – a building almost as old as North Lawrence
My goals for the building also support at least 6 of the 19 issues identified in the 2015 Issue Action Report for the Comprehensive Plan Update:
· Address Quality Housing for All Incomes
· Preserve Historic Buildings and Structures
· Create Quality Neighborhoods for All Ages
· Create Employment Opportunities
· Provide Opportunities for Small Neighborhood Retail
· Encourage/Support Local Food System Development